Nikki Reed has been a mainstay in the Hollywood industry ever since her breakout performance in Catherine Hardwicke’s 2003 film Thirteen, for which she also shared writing credit on the screenplay. Even though the actress has portrayed a wide range of roles, she is best known for portraying sexually progressive, precocious youths, such as her character in Lords of Dogtown (2005), also directed by Hardwicke.
Despite this, Reed has actively sought out roles across genres to demonstrate her adaptability as an actress and avoid being typecast. Reed has done a wide range of acting, including playing Betsy Ross on Sleepy Hollow, starring in the independent film About Scout, and appearing in Enter the Dangerous Mind.
Moreover, Reed has many hats to wear in the film industry, being both a writer and producer. So with all this in mind, let’s look at the top 10 Nikki Reed films and see how they stack up in plot, acting, and box-office returns.
10. Chain Letter (2010)
Written by Diana Erwin, Michael J. Pagan, and Deon Taylor and directed by Deon Taylor, Chain Letter is a horror film released in 2010. The plot centers on a group of friends in high school who receive anonymous death threats via chain mail. Those who do not pass along the letter will be killed by a maniac with chains in ways that are specific to their use of technology. One of the key characters, Jessie Campbell, played by Nikki Reed, is a student who receives the fatal chain letter.
Reed portrays Jessie as an intelligent and savvy young person who, despite her initial skepticism, takes the danger seriously and begins looking into the identity of the anonymous sender of the deadly chain letter. Reed gives her role depth by expressing various feelings, from shock and terror to determination, in a film where such complexities are often lacking.
9. American Gun (2005)
The 2005 drama American Gun is a striking look at how gun violence has affected different people in the United States. The film is an anthology of stories set in several places, directed by Aric Avelino, and starring an impressive ensemble cast including Marcia Gay Harden, Forest Whitaker, Donald Sutherland, Linda Cardellini, and Nikki Reed. Narratively, American Gun follows three people: the mother of a high school shooter, the principal of a low-income school, and a gun store owner.
The thread that connects these seemingly unrelated lives is the use of firearms. Each plot line examines a new angle and result of gun violence, showing how one act may affect generations of a family and an entire community. Nikki Reed stars as Tally, a student who develops feelings for the principal’s son. Her character is a troubled kid who must face the repercussions of her gun use at a young age. Her portrayal offers a fascinating look at how today’s youth feel about gun violence and its far-reaching effects.
8. Mini’s First Time (2006)
Nick Guthe’s Mini’s First Time is a satirical neo-noir black comedy that premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival on May 1. Carrie-Anne Moss’ Diane is a wealthy and uncaring parent, and Nikki Reed’s Mini is a manipulative and rebellious teenager. Mini is cunning, crafty, and courageous, and she takes great pleasure in defying convention and testing limits — this trait is evident in her insatiable hunger for “first times.” She hates her mother and wants a new, exciting life.
Mini engages in the typical delinquent behavior of a teen, but things get more serious when she has an affair with her stepfather, Martin (Alec Baldwin). Mini and Martin’s plans to get rid of Diane get complicated when Mini’s mother finds out about her affair with Martin. Nikki Reed’s performance captures the sly confidence that masks the character’s tortured mind. She convincingly portrays Mini’s alarming amorality, showing that a damaged and manipulative person lies beneath her wit and charm.
7. Cherry Crush (2007)
Reed demonstrates her talent for crime drama in Cherry Crush. The film’s protagonist is a high school student who is also a photographer and the privileged son of a famous attorney; he falls in love with the mysterious and alluring Shay Bettencourt (played by Reed). Reed’s Shay is a perfect example of a femme fatale; she’s seductive, deceptive, and potentially harmful. She is a photography-obsessed high school student who falls for Jonathan Tucker’s character, Jordan Wells.
Jordan, a wealthy and gifted student, was kicked out of his prep school for capturing sexually suggestive images of female classmates. He starts dating Shay right after meeting her at a public high school. Shay is a fascinating protagonist because she appears chaste and pure on the surface, yet she conceals a sinister past. She coerces Jordan into a murder plot, including her stepfather. Jordan recognizes Shay for the manipulator that she is, yet he still can’t resist falling into her trap. Director and co-writer Nicholas DiBella helmed Cherry Crush. The movie debuted on February 16, 2007, to mediocre reviews.
6. Enter the Dangerous Mind (2013)
Reed plays Wendy, a social worker sucked into the twisted mind of a struggling musician with aspirations of making it big. Jake Hoffman plays Jim, a socially awkward electronic dance music (EDM) musician whose deep-seated anxiety and complex auditory hallucinations intensify his severe mental problems, in the Youssef Delara and Victor Teran film Enter the Dangerous Mind. After meeting Jim at work, Nikki Reed’s character Wendy gets caught up in his turbulent life.
At first, she comes out as a sympathetic character who tries to help Jim through his difficulties by listening to him and empathizing with his situation. But as Jim’s mental state worsens, Wendy finds herself lured into his misguided and increasingly dangerous thinking. Reed is fantastic in the role of Wendy. She does an excellent job of depicting her transformation from a confident, caring woman who attempts to help Jim into a terrified bystander to Jim’s delusions and outbursts of violence. Reed’s persona exemplifies the hopelessness and risk that those who care for seriously mentally ill people who aren’t getting proper care confront.
5. About Scout (2015)
Nikki Reed plays a supporting role in this heartfelt 2015 indie drama. About Scout follows Scout (India Ennenga), a 15-year-old free spirit with a touch of badassery, and her younger sister Tallulah (Onata Aprile) as they take care of their ailing grandmother Mary (Ellen Burstyn) at her dilapidated Texas home. After their mother dies, their father, Ray (Tim Guinee), abandons the two daughters at the ranch, and the girls create a close bond.
However, when the child welfare officials start asking questions, Mary contacts Ray to get the girls. Ultimately, Ray shows up with his pregnant, drug-addicted girlfriend (Nikki Reed), but they only take Tallulah, leaving Scout behind. With the help of her new buddy Sam (James Frecheville), a suicidal young man from an upper-class family, the resourceful Scout decides to hit the road in pursuit of her sister. Laurie Weltz wrote and directed the comedy-drama, which premiered on April 25, 2015, at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
4. Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Nikki Reed portrays Tony Alva’s sister Kathy Alva in the 2005 biographical drama film Lords of Dogtown, with Victor Rasuk playing Tony Alva. Based on the true story of the Zephyr Skateboard Team, a group of youngsters who changed the face of skateboarding with their radical approach to the sport in 1970s Venice Beach, this film is a must-see. Kathy Alva’s character isn’t the film’s focus, but she plays a vital role as a sister figure to the other guys on the skateboarding team.
Reed portrays Kathy as a young girl who is a source of comfort and understanding for the guys and a voice of reason. Nikki Reed gives Kathy a different demeanor that manages to strike a good balance between the loving aspect of the character and the grit required to stand up to her frequently irresponsible brother and his pals. She’s a refreshing contrast to the skateboarders’ recklessness, often bringing them down to earth with her common sense. Catherine Hardwicke and Stacy Peralta’s Lords of Dogtown is the first and only collaboration between Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures.
3. Sleepy Hollow (2013 – 2017)
In the TV show Sleepy Hollow, Nikki Reed portrayed Betsy Ross, the woman widely credited as the first American flag’s seamstress. Betsy Ross is recast as a secret agent during the Revolutionary War in this spooky drama series. The third season introduces the figure of Reed, a skillful spy who undertakes risky missions for General George Washington.
Betsy is an agent close to the show’s protagonist, Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison). Betsy’s complex romantic history with Ichabod is revealed in Crane’s recollections to give her a more three-dimensional personality. Based on Washington Irving’s short novel The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, published in 1820, with elements borrowed from Rip Van Winkle, published the same year, the Fox television series Sleepy Hollow ran from September 16, 2013, to March 31, 2017.
2. The Twilight Saga (2008 – 2012)
Despite the mixed reviews, the Twilight Saga was a commercial smash and helped propel Reed to new heights in her career. In all five films of the Twilight Saga, Twilight (2008), New Moon (2009), Eclipse (2010), Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011), and Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012), Nikki Reed portrayed the character of Rosalie Hale. Vampire Rosalie Hale comes from the Olympic Coven, a family of vampires notable for its members’ preference for sucking animal blood over human blood.
After a sad tragedy in the early 20th century left Rosalie for dead, Carlisle Cullen found her and turned her into a vampire. As someone who turned into a vampire against her will and deeply regrets giving up the chance to start a family, Rosalie is notoriously resentful and unhappy. In the first film, she openly opposes Bella Swan’s romance with Edward Cullen and comes across as unfriendly towards Bella Swan, the saga’s protagonist. Rosalie thinks Bella is wasting her human life by being with Edward, a vampire.
1. Thirteen (2003)
Nikki Reed plays Evie Zamora in the 2003 film Thirteen. Reed and Catherine Hardwicke, who also directed the film, co-wrote this semi-autobiographical drama. Thirteen is an honest and uncompromising examination of adolescence and the cultural forces shaping today’s teens. Reed’s portrayal of Evie Zamora, the notoriously alluring “bad girl” who inspires Evan Rachel Wood’s Tracy Freeland to embark on a path of self-destruction and defiance, is central to the film’s plot.
Tracy is fascinated and obsessed with Evie since she exudes confidence and has complete independence. Evie may seem tough on the outside, but she’s hiding a lot of hurt and insecurity. Her behavior covers her insecurities and her search for acceptance and love, which she experienced growing up in a chaotic family. Despite widespread praise from critics, the portrayal of teen drug use, sexual activity by minors, and self-harm in Thirteen caused some controversy.
